Train passengers in Wales are soon to go 'ticketless' with the introduction of a 'tap and go' method of payment similar to the Oystercard system on London's Underground .
New plastic Smartcards - currently being trialled between Wrexham and Shrewsbury and on stations between Penarth and Cathays - will be rolled out across the wider network in the coming weeks.
Currently available only to seven-day season ticket holders, commuters can order their Smartcard for free online before loading their tickets on them at any of Transport For Wales ' ticket machines.
Once done, all passengers have to do is tap their Smartcard at the reader on the gates when exiting the station at their chosen destination.
The idea behind the scheme is to make travel faster, speeding up passage through train stations by avoiding ticket gate hold-ups and the problem of damaged paper tickets.
Also, if you lose your Smartcard, a replacement will be sent by simply calling 0333 3211 202.
A spokesperson for Transport for Wales - the not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government - said: " At Transport for Wales we want to make buying your ticket as easy as possible for all our customers, giving them better, convenient and more widely available options.
" We are currently trialling smart ticketing on a limited number of routes for customers wishing to purchase a seven day season ticket.
" Once completed we will analyse the results of the trial with a view to a phased roll out across our network over the autumn and winter.”
To order your free Smartcard go to the Transport For Wales website .
